NHL Betting Picks for December 29, 2010

Wednesday night NHL betting features 3 plays from the Oddsbay hockey handicapping team. Make Oddsbay your home for the best sports betting information available anywhere in every season and every sport!
NEW YORK RANGERS AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS--DECEMBER 29, 2010 4:05 PM PACIFIC
Got a good reason *not* to go against the New Jersey Devils here? We sure don't...Rangers aren't anything to write home about but they have been playing fairly well lately going 6-3-1 in their L10 games. New Jersey has lost 5 straight, 9 of their L10 and are the only team in the league averaging less than 2 goals a game (1.69) winning just 9 of 35 games this year. Rangers 12-3 against teams with losing records, Devils 3-12 against teams with winning records. New York has already beaten New Jersey twice this year and at a reasonable price given the talent disparity between the two teams and the negligible 'road trip' involved we'll back the Rangers.
PLAY NEW YORK RANGERS -110 OVER NEW JERSEY DEVILS
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AT NEW YORK ISLANDERS--DECEMBER 29, 2010 4:05 PM PACIFIC
You don't often see a -200 road favorite in the NHL, but it's hard to argue that it's not justified in this matchup between the league's best team and one of the worst. Pittsburgh clicking on all cylinders with a 25-11-2 record including a 12-5-1 mark away from home. Isles 9-19-6 and although they've played better of late 4-5-1 in their L10 games they're clearly in over their head in this matchup. Penguins have the #4 scoring offense (3.28 goals per game) and the #4 scoring defense (2.34 goals per game). Islanders have the #28 scoring offense (2.28 goals per game) and the #29 scoring defense (3.26 goals per game). 15 of Pittsburgh's 25 wins have been by 2 goals or more, while 12 of the Islanders 19 losses have been 2+ goals. We'll take a shot on the puck line--we admit that there's at least a theoretical 'lookahead' potential for the Penguins with the big outdoor game against Washington on deck, but given the qualitative disparity in these sides we'll lay the -1' goals with Pittsburgh getting +160.
PLAY PITTSBURGH -1.5 +160 OVER NEW YORK ISLANDERS
LOS ANGELES KINGS AT PHOENIX COYOTES--DECEMBER 29, 2010 6:05 PM PACIFIC
Pretty simple premise here--Kings play nasty defense and are in better form. Phoenix lived and died with defense and goaltending a year ago, but this season are just #16 in scoring defense. Kings are #2 allowing just 2.23 goals per game and have won 4 straight and 9 of their L12. Phoenix lost to Anaheim last night and have now dropped 7 of their L11 games. Ilya Bryzgalov is always capable of stealing a game, but we just think this Kings squad isn't getting the respect they deserve from the public and linesmakers.
PLAY LOS ANGELES KINGS -115 OVER PHOENIX COYOTES